Apparently for some time now there has been a network of individuals calling themselves Brokers operating throughout the Rogue Isles. My Lord Recluse has let them be, but he asked all of us to check up on their activities. He believes their business will increase after Operation Destiny, and he wants Arachnos to be prepared to benefit from that.

I was given the task of speaking to the two Brokers who have established themselves in Port Oakes, who call themselves by the lovely sobriquets Drea the Hook and Mikey the Ear. I had heard tale of Drea and so I began by seeking him out at the Hook and Anchor, the club he owns. It seems he was one of the only survivors of a fishing boat accident near Alaska. The fellow seemed nervous around me from the moment I arrived. At first I supposed that was simply due to my ghostly mien; I often unnerve those who are weak willed. Over the course of my conversation with him however, I discovered that the disaster he survived has left mental scars as well as physical ones.

It seems that the Hook has become quite skittish since his accident. The most unfortunate aspect of this new state of mind is a pronounced fear of water. That is how he came to be a Broker on the Isles. I asked him what that meant exactly. He told me that he and the other Brokers give out tasks freely to anyone they think capable of dealing with them. After a handful of such tasks these Brokers reward their customers with, as he put it, "a juicy Heist." If a client successfully "pulls off that job" then the Broker will give him the opportunity to meet someone more deeply connected to the goings on of the area.

At that point in the conversation I put forth the suggestion that Arachnos should benefit from Drea's business operations. He seemed resistant at first, but when I offered to take him on a flying tour over Dockside Bay he changed his mind rather quickly. He was also kind enough to volunteer the location of Mikey the Ear, near the ferry.

To my surprise Mikey actually expected me. After brief introductions he assured me that he was happy to cooperate in any way he could with Arachnos and the "distinguished representative of Lord Recluse." I left with the feeling that although he will give my Lord his due, Mikey the Ear bears close scrutiny.

Although this was not a pleasant task for me, I am certain the destined ones that are due to arrive on the islands before the year is out will make good use of these Brokers. As they make their way through the trials that the Rogue Isles are certain to offer, the Brokers will always be able to provide them tasks with which they may test and train themselves.